Bob Portigue: President has an obligation to be respectful of all Americans

To The Daily Sun,

As a veteran, and West Point graduate, I want to encourage every citizen to celebrate our nation’s independence by registering to vote. Register today as voting to elect our government is one of the most fundamental, patriotic duties of every citizen.

That said, I am extremely disappointed in the current administration. I will highlight three areas of concern: As veterans, we serve our country, sometimes at the risk of our lives, in return for support, care, and leadership from our government.

In recent days reports of Russia posting bounties on the lives of coalition forces have come to light. Rather than take action to protect our troops, the administration ignored this Russian aggression. Worse, it called for a reduction in U.S. forces serving in Germany, thus weakening the NATO alliance. It also extended an invitation for Russia to return to the G7 Summit — despite its dismissal for the illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014. I am genuinely worried that our commander-in-chief does not have the best interests of our country, our troops, or our allies at heart.

The administration’s leadership in handling the COVID-19 pandemic has been awful. Our leaders do not lead by example and do not provide cogent guidance to the public, state, or local officials. The consequences are over 125,000 dead, 2.6 million known infected, and a curve that is trending in the wrong direction. This negatively impacts our economy, our military readiness, and our national psyche. The president refers to the virus as the “invisible enemy.” Well, if you are attacked by the “enemy” any good leader responds to protect their forces and position. This administration was slow to respond and now appears to have surrendered altogether.

Finally, the president recently tweeted a video thanking a supporter shouting, “white power.” He continues to use incendiary language, seeking to divide rather than unite our nation. Certainly, disagreements among political parties are expected. However, we should have an expectation that our president treats all constituents with dignity and respect. Military officers, as well as the president, swear an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. Our president has shown little regard for his oath. He repeatedly insults our allies while cozying up to dictators and adversaries. Maybe worse, he shows little regard for the health and safety of his constituents.

His actions, or lack thereof, have weakened and continue to weaken our nation, both domestically and internationally. Our future depends on a strong and stable United States. A United States where oaths and commitments are kept. We as citizens have the power to affect change and the obligation to vote to make change happen. Register to vote today and vote on November 3rd .

Bob Portigue

Alton